Find Yourself
by darkrunner
Summary: Mangaverse. They wouldn't let her fight without a ka. But fighting was the only way she would see her master again. Apprenticeshipping Mahad x Mana for computerfreak101's contest.


A/N: Apprenticeshipping Mahado x Mana for round 4, Season 4 of Computerfreak101's YGO fanfiction contest.

Never written Ancient Egypt before, let alone Mana and Mahado. Let alone them TOGETHER. The only AE pairings I support are Seto/Kisara and Mahad/Isis. But I'm obligated to write this, so hobey ho, here we go.

Takes place in manga-verse.

Loosely inspired by the scene in Tsubasa where the fire wolf becomes Syoaran's kudan.

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh!, Jou and Mai would meet up after the series ends and become the tag-team dueling champions of the world. As they both lost to Muro, that does not appear to be the case, so let's assume that I don't own it.

* * *

"To arms!" Priest Seto shouted, mounting his horse. "The Pharaoh is alive!" The remaining 3 priests pulled their own horses out of the stables, readying themselves to rush to their king's aid. The footsoldiers stood at attention, to be sent out with the priests, for whatever good it would do. Against the thief Bakura, only those who could wield ka were of any use.

For that very reason, Mana was forced to sneak into the stables with the priests. Silently, she crept into her horse's stall--a horse that had been a present from her master--and waited for the priests to leave. Listening intently, she heard Priest Seto's voice again. Then there was a loud cry from the soldiers, and horses galloping. Mana started to mount, intending to follow. By the time she caught up, they'd be at Kul Elna, and it would be too late to turn her away.

She nudged her horse forward and left the stables. The priests were no where in sight. Mana sighed in relief.

"Going somewhere, Mana?" Isis said. Mana jumped.

"P-priestess Isis!" she stammered.

"You know you can't see ka yet," Isis chastised. Mana hung her head.

"Well... I can sort of see them..." she lied. Isis sighed.

"I know you mean well, Mana, but this is dangerous--"

"But the pharoah's there!" she cried desperately. "That means my master is fighting!"

"You can't help Mahad like this," Isis said. "Besides, he wouldn't want you to get hurt..."

"But if he dies, I'll never see him again!"

Isis cringed at the thought. Mahad dying _once _was painful enough. She didn't know if either of them could handle a second time.

"He'll be fine," Isis said more confidently than she felt. "But Mana, I cannot allow you to follow.

"But Isis--!"

"Dismount, Mana," Isis said sternly. Mana dejectedly climbed off of her horse. Isis's expression softened.

"I'm sorry. If you had a ka..." the priestess started to say. Mana let go of the reigns of her horse and said nothing. Isis sighed, and urged her own horse onward. She would've liked to comfort the poor girl, but the pharoah was in danger. She could talk with Mana later. Isis quickly rode off after the others.

Mana drew a deep shuddering breath. She wouldn't cry. She _wouldn't_. The apprentice knelt down on the ground, pushing images of Mahad's dead body out of her mind. Her master... her friend... her... Mahad.

If only she had a ka! Mana had studied and studied since Mahad's death, desperate to see him again. She tried to calm herself, calling her training to mind. Slow, deep breaths. Concentrate. Focus on the power within her own soul. She closed her eyes, and willed herself to find the strength to help her mast-- to help Mahad. She felt something stirring in her mind. She focused on it, trying to draw it out. An image of a female magician, not unlike Mahad's, came into her mind.

"Mana... do you want power?"

"Yes!" she cried.

"Why?"

"To..." she seached for an answer that would satisfy the ka. "To help my friends." It wasn't untrue. Mana did want to help the prince--erm, the Pharoah.

"And?" the girl said. It was a ka. It was her soul. Mana couldn't fool it. It would only listen to her heart if she was honest with it.

"I want to see my master again."

"Very well."

The image of the magician turned into a brilliant white light. Mana opened her eyes, and standing before her, was the magician girl.

"Shall we go?"

Mana nodded. "To Mahad."

* * *

A/N: Oh Ra. That was bad. TT Pity me. I had finals this and last week.


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